kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Maciej Sumiński <maciej.suminski@xxxxxxx>]

Ladies and gentlemen,

We have just reached the next step of our development plan. We would 
like to offer you a refurbished module editor, extended with the GAL and 
the Tool Framework. Besides the new graphic engine, you will find there:
- layer widget - to select the drawing layer before you start creating 
graphics (including Edge.Cuts layer)
- drawing tools - already known from the layout editor (draggable items, 
point editor, line splitting, etc.)
- copy and paste using reference points - feel the power of instant 
replication
- align/distribute - to save you some time on precise mouse movements
- pad enumeration tool - that is the missing piece in the lightning fast 
footprint creation process
- DXF import - we do not blame you if you prefer other graphic utils (it 
is possible mostly due to efforts of Jean-Pierre Charras, the main 
author of DXF import code)

We invite you to watch a short video, in which you may see the new 
features in action. To give you an example, there is a part on how to 
draw a QFN64 footprint in less than 2 minutes:
https://vimeo.com/99235812

The code is available for testing in the repository: 
https://code.launchpad.net/~cern-kicad/kicad/module_editor
After a period of testing, it will be merged to the product branch. You 
may help shortening the time by letting us know if everything works as 
expected.

I feel obliged to say thank you to the KiCad community that gave us a 
few thoughts regarding improvements. We should ask you more often, you 
have great ideas.

Regards,
Orson